“A Lifestyle of Prayer” 

 This week’s prayer focus: Speech!

“We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.”  
  James 3:2

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 5:19-20 

A Lifestyle of Prayer should be just that — a lifestyle, not simply an event.  View prayer as your first priority, not as the last resort.  It is my prayer that these weeks of “topical” prayer guides have been training and equipping you in the practice of prayer.  This week we will pray about our speech and the way we use our words.  As you are growing in the practice of prayer, I also encourage you to grow in the practice of journaling your prayers, your requests, your praises, and make note of how you see God working in each.   As you pray, listen for what God would have you to do.  

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

Please spend time each day praying about, and writing down, how God would have you live out that day’s aspect of speech.  With that in mind, pray for yourself, your family, your friends, neighbors, and all the “one anothers” we’ve been praying for over the past weeks.

Sunday: Pray for Tom Lemler and the work God is doing through Impact Prayer Ministry.

Monday: Gracious Speech.  Pray about the connection God makes between a pure heart, gracious speech, and those you are friends with.  “He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend.”  Psalm 22:11

Tuesday: Powerful Speech.  Pray that you would recognize that speech with real power comes from God and His Word.  “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.”  Acts 7:22

Wednesday: Truthful Speech.  Pray that your speech is always truthful so that the power of God is heard in it.  “. . . in truthful speech and in the power of God . . .”  2 Corinthians 6:7

Thursday: Excel in Speech.  Pray that the quality of your speech would be noted as something you excel in.  “But just as you excel in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”  2 Corinthians 8:7

Friday: Exemplary Speech.  Pray that the example you set in your speech would cause others to look up to you.  “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”  1 Timothy 4:12

Saturday:  Sound Speech.  Pray that your speech would be considered sound and above reproach so that no accusation would have cause to stick.  “In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”  Titus 2:8